


A Dreamer, Just Like You

by TheStarsMissMe



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Car rides, Egobang - Freeform, Fluff, M/M, One-Shot, Platonic Relationships, Polygrumps, ShipGrumps, Short, Stuck in Traffic, YouTubers - Freeform, friendly - Freeform, platonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-06 17:49:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20295538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheStarsMissMe/pseuds/TheStarsMissMe
Summary: Continuing his singing, his eyes jumped from car to car, looking at each human being behind the wheel, their expressions different waves of anger, sadness, and annoyance. The lane on Arin’s left seemed to move a bit faster so he blankly watched the metamorphosis of different cars. The different brands and colors seemed to bleed and contort with one another; Arin inhaled deeply and then exhaled through his nose. Why can’t something interesting or fun happen…?





	A Dreamer, Just Like You

“God, work was so fucking long…” Arin grumbled, his eyes nothing but dark circles like he hasn’t slept in days. His knuckles turned white from gripping the steering wheel tightly; his shift at work finally ended but this was always the worst part: the commute home. Everyone and their mother seemed to leave at the same time. Cars were knit tightly together, very little room from one vehicle to the next. Arin was surprised that people could even merge from one lane to the other. A symphony of horns was heard throughout the long wait of arriving home; the California heat not helping anyone with a hot temper.

With an exasperated sigh, Arin pulled out his phone and started texting his roommate.

**Hey, Suzy. Traffic is fucking awful so I’m going to be late coming home.**

_ No worries! I’ll go ahead and talk to the landlord about renewing our lease without you and I’ll fill you in on the details when you get back. _

_ _ **You are the greatest best friend I could ever have. Thank you and I’m really sorry. I’ll pick up a pizza before getting home.**

_ Large Supreme Pizza, please!!!!!!! _

_ _ Arin threw his phone on the passenger seat next to him and let his eyes stare out into the endless sea of metal, all different bland colors. He turned the air conditioning on full blast, welcoming the cold breeze. He tapped random rhythms on his steering wheel before thinking out loud, “I guess I should play some music to pass the time. Might as well not be totally miserable.”

He reached behind his seat and pulled out his large case of CD’s. He flipped through the soft pages, gazing at each laminated section of glass that were music he collected over the years. Arin loved looking at his collection and seeing how his taste of music evolved growing up, some even staying stagnant and well loved like they were in his younger years. 

“Something happy...something happy…” He mused, scanning to and fro.  _ What am I in the mood for…?  _ His eyes caught a familiar CD and he instantly knew. “Oh man, I love this album.” He beamed happily, grabbing Pearl Jam’s  _ Ten _ from the sleeve and popping it into the CD player. The car instantly came to life from its stiff position, the color vibrancy in the air feeling a lot lighter than before. The car continued its slow crawl to its destination, Arin leaning back into his seat with a content smile. His voice echoed the music, singing melodies, harmonies, his fingers mimicking the rhythm. If this drive didn’t feel like utter hell, he could almost call it his nirvana.

Continuing his singing, his eyes jumped from car to car, looking at each human being behind the wheel, their expressions different waves of anger, sadness, and annoyance. The lane on Arin’s left seemed to move a bit faster so he blankly watched the metamorphosis of different cars. The different brands and colors seemed to bleed and contort with one another; Arin inhaled deeply and then exhaled through his nose.  _ Why can’t something interesting or fun happen…? _

In a twisted way of fate, the stars aligned and granted Arin his wish. He felt his whole world light up the second a deep blue car pulled up beside him and inside he saw a one man concert. Like molasses, he slowly rose up from his seat, his eyes bright like the sun. His vision became saturated in color. Tousled brown curls swung erratically, a bright white smile sang loudly to the music blasting through the car speakers. Arin was shocked that he could even hear the music since his windows were up and his own music was booming. Hitting pause, he turned off his AC and quickly lowered his windows.  _ Pour Some Sugar on Me _ by Def Leppard oozed out of the car’s windows and into Arin’s perked ears. Not only was the lead singer serenading him, but so was this tall and mysterious stranger. Both men locked eyes, a flushed feeling befell on Arin while the other continued his concert, his lips pulling into a sexual smirk while caressing his body. 

“Like what you see~?” He called out, pulling the once-bored other out of his spinning trance. 

“O-Oh! I’m sorry!” Arin stammered, his heart hammering against his rib cage. “I didn’t mean to stare! It’s just that, you’re the only happy face I’ve seen in this standstill of cars.”

“Life’s too short to be unhappy,” The stranger continued, lowering his music volume. He leaned towards his passenger side to get a better view of his new acquaintance. “Why waste time being unhappy when music can help turn it around?”

“I know what you mean,” Arin rubbed his neck nervously, “I literally just had that moment not too long ago and decided to put in a CD.”

“A CD?! Wow, look at you, Vintage Man!” The wild haired man joked, laughing hard at his own joke. Before Arin could throw in a word of his own, he quickly responded, “I’m joking, I swear. I’m an old fuck whose has grown up with all forms of media.” He smiled, his teeth almost reflecting against the bright California sun. “I’m Dan, by the way.”

“Arin. Nice to meet you, man.” Arin replied, returning the smile. “It’s not everyday you strike up a conversation with a stranger on the busy roads.”

“You need to be in more standstills like this. The few times I tried talking to people, they would ignore me or tell me to shut the fuck up because of my singing.” Dan pretended to channel in his inner drama queen, dramatically throwing one of his hands over his head while the other grasped at his heart. “These people have  _ no idea  _ what  _ real  _ talent looks like!” He bellowed. “I’m just a starving artist looking for a break in sunny California!”

“Yeah,” Arin scoffed, “You and everyone else here that has a dream.”

“Hey! You can’t deny any opportunity coming your way! For all I know, you could be a talent agent ready to sign me up for a record deal!” Dan fell silent for a second before squinting suspiciously. “Are you a talent agent…?”

“Fuck no! If I was, I’d be having someone else drive my ass around instead of stressing over these highways!” Arin retorted, laughing a deep belly laugh.

“But, like, wouldn’t it be rad if you were?!” The entertainer screamed back, joining in the laughter. “Like, how fucking weird would fate be?!”

“God, you are a dreamer…”

“You say ‘dreamer’ like it’s a bad thing.”

“Yeah… Well, just be careful, alright?” Both cars crept forward. The night was slowly waking up in the sky, deep blues and hues of yellow mixed with purple were like thick brush strokes. 

“Be careful about what?” Dan asked, leaning back into his seat.

“Just, I would hate to see someone like you have their dreams crushed.” Arin felt his heart drain, his lips pulled in a twinge of remembrance. “I had the same outlook on life like you but fell really hard out here.” His fingers caressed his leather steering wheel, tapping nonsensical beats with a soft  _ thud _ . “Sometimes you need to understand what reality is really like over here.”

“So you just gave up?” 

That sentence felt raw against Arin’s brain. He barely knew this stranger and yet he felt awful for disappointing him. Dan could have lived in California for years or just became a new resident, yet his statement rang like he was already successful and found ways to cheat life, achieving the impossible.

With a gulp, Arin nodded. “Y-Yeah, I guess I did.”

“What was the dream about? What did you want to achieve?”

“I really wanted to be a voice actor; I wanted to aide with cartoon voices for children. But...you can only take so many rejected letters after a while.”

“So, what you’re saying is...you felt your dream to not be important anymore and so you molded yourself with those afraid to take many leaps of faith.”

The world screeched to a halt with that sudden jar of reality his new acquaintance accused towards him. He wasn’t wrong. What he said wasn't wrong at all. His heart sank low to his toes.

”I’m not wrong, aren’t I?” Dan continued. “You gave in. You stopped giving yourself the benefit of a doubt that you  _ could  _ achieve this dream.”

“How do you know?” Arin snapped back. He wanted to push his car to full throttle and leave this stupid and stagnant traffic jam but was forced to wallow in his self pity. “You of all people should understand this plight!”

”I do! But do you see me working a job I hate, contemplating on whether or not life is worth living and before you know it, you’re 60 and regretting everything? No!” Dan quickly unbuckled himself from his seat and started jiggling his driver’s side door handle. Arin stared in disbelief, watching his crazy individual leave his car in the middle of the highway and stomping towards the washed up voice actor, the air vibrating with a different aura; the air became thick and heavy to inhale.

The singer then sat himself in Arin’s passenger seat and slammed the door, his brilliant eyes locked with the others.

“What the fuck are you doing in my car?!” Arin’s face grew extremely hot, “Are you insane?! We are in the middle of a highway!”

“I believe in you, Arin!” Dan exclaimed, grabbing his friend’s hands in his own and squeezing them tightly. “Don’t be like those who give up so easily!”

“I told you, I can’t!” His hands shook in his older counterparts’. How embarrassing this all was! Who does this ludicrous man think he is?

“I told you, you can!” Dan’s face inched closer to Arin’s. “I know I just met you and this seems crazy, but listen! You are a creator and deserve a creator’s job! Not whatever the fuck you are doing now that causes those under-eye bags! If you give up, your story fizzles out like those whose names are forgotten!”

“Why the hell do you care so much about this?!”

“Because if you lose hope then I will too!”

The world died in silence, the constant car horns softening until they were nothing but a dim humming. The ambiance of everything felt like what black and white looked like: empty, static snow, yet brilliant. The climax rang in Arin’s ears.

“W...What do you mean?” Arin asked, his fingers slipping from his friend’s grasp.

Dan merely sighed, his own hands entangling themselves in his curls. “I’m just...so tired. I’m so tired of seeing people who deserve to show off their skills to the world, make something of themselves, die off because of circumstances. Singers, dancers, composers,  _ voice actors _ , so many with extraordinary talent…! And they just live life like everyone else.” His once shining eyes became dull and bleak, staring deep in Arin’s stirred soul. “Soon, it’ll just be...me. I know it sounds selfish, but I want to join those who will gain a success story. I want to be with those who say, ‘Hey, remember that guy? He was a loser once, and now look at him! He’s the king of his own castle!’. But I want those to share that ideal with me instead of me, being alone…”

_ Wow… I don’t know what to say… _ Both men felt their hearts slow down, a steady pulse shared in their ears. Arin slowly took in a breath, his lungs expanding to their max capacity, then he let it all go, as if a mantra to release any negative tension in his body.

“I didn’t realize...this was really important to you.” Arin spoke as if his voice was walking on eggshells, carefully choosing his words. “Then again, I just met you...like...an hour ago.”

“I want people to be happy.” Dan whispered, “I want people who deserve it to be happy. I know this interaction has probably been so weird, ya know, with me throwing myself in your car and all, but you seem like a guy who is capable of great things. I want you to manifest those dreams. I don’t want you to give up.”

“HMMMMM, SO YOU ARE SAYING, THAT IF I TRY, I WILL SUCCEED???” The jarring voice shocked Dan before realizing it was coming from his new friend, his lips sputtering before exploding into a full on laughing fit.

“Oh my god, was that Yoda you just did?”

“I AM YODA, BITCH!”

“Yoda doesn’t talk like a normal person!” Dan retorted, wiping his damp eyes. “He talks all backwards. But I gotta say, you do a great voice impression of him.”

“Thanks, my friend. It took a lot of practice and annoying my parents on whether or not it sounded like him.” He fell silent before asking, “Are you feeling okay now?”

“I am now. But you know what would make me feel even better?” Dan held out his hand, his fingers long and welcoming. “Do you promise me to continue trying? Continue to pursue your dream in the voice acting business?”

“If I say yes, will you finally get in your own car? I think the traffic is now moving at a faster rate.”

“I most definitely will!”

“Then you got yourself a deal.” Fingers intertwined in a mutual agreement. Dan gave Arin a final salute before exiting the standstill car of his new friend’s and raced across the black pavement to his own. It was as Arin predicted that the cars started moving more consistently and like a kink in a running rose, the cars flushed out from their tight spaces and finally sped home to their loved ones. Arin watched as Dan carelessly maxed out his volume on his radio, his hair whipping in the breeze with a giant smile, singing his ballads until his voice faded off. 

“Hey, Suzy!” Arin sighed exaggeratedly, kicking the door shut behind him and throwing his body on the well-worn couch. A girl with chestnut brown hair and fair skin popped out from a different room, a soft smile on her pretty lips. 

“Hey, Arin. Wow, traffic must of been shit, huh?” She asked while moving towards the kitchen. Arin watched her open the oven and pull out a greasy take-out box, the smell indicating it was pizza. His heart stopped for a moment and guilt washed over him.

“Shit, Suzy, I’m so sorry for forgetting.” 

“It’s alright! I could tell it was going to be a while when you didn’t come home in time so I went ahead and got food for us.” She winked, grabbing a cheesy slice. “You just owe me.” Taking a small bite, she then questioned, “Why did it take so long? You don’t normally come home at this hour.”

“Oh man,” Arin laughed, recalling his strange day. “You are  _ not  _ going to believe the day I had.”

**Author's Note:**

> Wow! Another short! Thank you for reading!  
Want me to write a prompt? Or write stupid shit?  
Contact me here or on tumblr:  
I-choose-you-egobang
> 
> <3


End file.
